More Alive Than I've Ever Been, I've Chosen You
by Flyawaysnogbox
Summary: "He kissed the top of her head, content to just be right here with her, right now. In her space, in this time. He needed nothing more." A Christmas fic. Clara/Eleven. Pure fluff.


Just a little Eleven/Clara Christmas story. Established relationship.

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't anything.

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The Doctor parked his TARDIS a distance from Clara's home, in a field. He paused when he began walking toward her home because he saw her, in front of her door, pacing back and forth and biting at her nails – nervous habit of hers that he found quite endearing – she would lower her hands every few seconds to say something, like she was having an internal argument with herself. She really looked quite distressed.

He approached her, softly, so not as to frighten her, she really looked in the zone, "Clara?" the Doctor questioned quietly.

She turned quickly on her heel and barreled toward him, "Ah! Doctor! Where the hell have you been? It's Wednesday. You're usually here earlier on Wednesdays. Every Wednesday. Why are you late?" She said it all in one breath.

"Oh, Clara, I'm a time traveler, I'm never late," he grinned, playfully, and straightened his bow tie, when she shot him a glare he held both hands up in defeat and stepped back from her, a little frightened.

"You do realize _which_ Wednesday it is, right?" Clara questioned.

"Of course. 25 December, 2013." The Doctor stated, as if it were obvious, but he wasn't getting it.

"Which is?" her tone wasn't one of irritation or impatience, but she was getting there.

His eyes widened in realization, "Oh."

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She had initially come outside to get some fresh air and time away from her family who voted that she host Christmas this year in her new, very small, home. Then she remembered that it was Wednesday and the Doctor wasn't here yet. Then she decided that maybe she didn't want him here at all. Her father and other relatives knew that during the time she wasn't being a nanny or a teacher, she was traveling around. With a man. They wanted to meet him, wanted to know why anyone would take up this much of her time and keep her from seeing them.

It wasn't even like that, Clara just needed to distance herself from her family most of the time. The Doctor wasn't keeping her from them, per say, but he did provide the perfect getaway. Clara kept in touch with her dad weekly, by phone. Other family, she saved her time with them for the holidays, they were just too much. When her mum was still alive, it was always okay. Her mother, Ellie had always had this ability to calm Clara and settle stressful situations and, now, days like Christmas were bittersweet. Ellie's absence was so obvious and some family member never failed to bring her up in some way. How proud she would be to see the woman Clara has grown into. Or just a simple mention about missing the souffles Ellie would make. Clara never let it show but those comments were always a sharp sting to her heart. It'd been nearly ten years since her mom died but that wasn't something you just got over and eventually forgot. There were some days where it would all fade from her mind and she'd be thinking about something else but then she would look down see that she'd been twisting her mother's ring around her finger and it would all come rushing back.

She was doing it now in fact. The Doctor took notice to it first though and came toward her, enveloping her in a tight hug. Clara let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and hugged him back. His arms around her were always such a comfort. Even now, with her being a bit peeved that he was late and that he'd forgotten it was Christmas. But at least he was here, that was enough.

He broke the hug, but not their contact and held her from him at arms length, looking in her eyes and taking in her appearance, "You look beautiful. Merry Christmas, Clara."

She only smiled at him, and he smiled wider, letting out a loud cheerful laugh, "You're wearing the cardigan the TARDIS made for you!" he pointed out, excitedly, "Gosh, the little bow ties are really a great touch, aren't they?"

Clara giggled and stepped closer to him, straightening his own bow tie, "Yeah, bow ties are cool," she rose her one of her hands from his bowtie to rest it on his neck and pressed a kissed to his cheek. Then he moved in to kiss her lips. He really loved the feel of her lips against his. He wouldn't ever get sick of it. He tried to deepen the kiss, but Clara backed up a few feet.

"None of that, not today" she said weakly, wanting to be right back in his arms, when she remembered that her family was just right inside.

"Oh no!" the Doctor said nervously, pointing to her door, "They- I forgot for a moment. Your family. Do they know I'm going to be here? How do I act? Who should I introduce myself as?"

_Oh, lovely, now he's acting as nervous as I was just moments ago_, Clara thought to herself.

What a pair they were.

"Of course they know you're going to be here. We'll be fine. Although, we're at my place so we can't exactly disappear whenever we want to get away from everyone, so there's that. Hm, and just be yourself. But without all the time travel mumble jumble and the alien stuff. I don't think they're quite ready for that. And I'm introducing you as the Doctor, my boyfriend."

His face lit up, "Your boyfriend, eh?"

"Well it is who you are."

The Doctor nodded, "And you're my Clara."

When they entered into Clara's home it suddenly felt very unfamiliar to the Doctor. He'd been there loads of times since she moved in. He had helped her unpack everything and it was obvious that she wasn't too picky when he even when shopping with her for décor and accessories because almost everything that got bought was TARDIS blue or had the color in it. The curtains, the place settings on the dinner table, little things here and there. Even the ornaments on the little Christmas tree that they put up together were blue, silver tinsel strewn throughout the tree.

It hit the Doctor at once, he and Clara practically shared her home, there were traces of him everywhere, but now there relatives of Clara's seated anywhere possible. And he was about to be introduced as her boyfriend. Her actual proper boyfriend. This had never happened before, not really. He had never let himself become domestic enough. It was one of his rules. Used to be, anyway. Clara seemed to have a way of making him break all his rules without him even realizing it. Like entering his own time stream. That was a big no-no, but then, Clara. Clara kept happening to him and he didn't want to stop it. She broke down his walls, made his hearts feel lighter and over his thousand years of living it felt like something that had grown impossible but, then again, Clara was the impossible girl.

She sensed his nervousness and wrapped her hand in his, giving it a squeeze, and then shut the door behind them. The sound of the door seemed to set everyone off because her family members were up on their feet, asking her what had taken so long and who the young man with her was.

Clara wished could say something, like, _I was having a nice, intimate moment with my boyfriend in his snog box to just loosen up before being bombarded by you lot_, but that would be inappropriate and untrue. Her second answer would be something about having a nervous breakdown about, once again, having everyone in her small home and her boyfriend being a thousand year old alien and coming to meet her family. She couldn't say that either.

Instead, she smiled, grateful for the Doctor's presence and his hand around hers because his skin against hers always sent electricity throughout her body, shocked her backed to life.

She cleared her throat, "I just needed some fresh air and I wanted to make sure this one didn't get lost on his way to the house," she said jokingly pointing at the Doctor with the hand that wasn't in his grasp.

He laughed, "I end up in the wrong place all the time," he explained to them, "Anyway, hello, I'm the Doctor. Clara's boyfriend."

The day had gone smoothly and eventually faded into night and life quieted and Clara's family decided to start leaving, one by one, thanking her for hosting. Telling the Doctor that it was wonderful to meet him. Someone so full of life that actually seemed like a good match for Clara. Her dad, Dave, lingered around for sometime after everyone left, making small talk with his daughter and the Doctor, when Clara got up to clean things up in the kitchen and change into something more comfortable, Dave got a serious look on his face and stared at the Doctor.

The Doctor gulped and straightened his bowtie. This was going to be one of those talks father's give to the boy who's dating his little girl. The Doctor could just tell. Or so he thought.

Dave laughed joyfully at the look of terror on the Doctor's face, "You can calm down, son. I know you wouldn't her."

The Doctor got a far off look in his eye, thinking about how Clara wasn't one to say no, always willing to sacrifice and risk her life, it scared him to death, "No, not if I could help it, never."

"She loves you," Clara's dad said, "But she hasn't said it yet, has she?"

The Doctor didn't know what to say to this, never having given it much though, but he shook his head no.

Dave nodded, "You love her, too. You'll have to be the one to say it first, you know. She's so much like her mother was. Tough, feisty, but so generous and loving. My Ellie would have been delighted to meet you. You and Clara remind me of us when we were young."

"Do we?" the Doctor mused, Dave nodded his yes, "Clara talks about her sometimes, and you. About how wonderful it was growing up with you as her parents."

"We were the lucky ones, I think. We had each other and were so happy but Clara made life have so much more color."

"She has a way of doing that, doesn't she?" the Doctor murmured thoughtfully.

Dave stood up, "I'd better be heading out, tell Clara goodnight for me, yes? I'll call her soon. It was a pleasure meeting you, Doctor."

"Same to you, sir."

Dave held his hand out to shake the Doctor's, which he accepted, but Dave held on a little longer, cradling the Doctor's hand with his others, "Don't wait too long to tell Clara how you feel. It could all end in a moment for either of you, don't wait. I'd hate to see either of you in pain. It lasts a lifetime, Doctor. I know she can take care of herself, but watch out for her."

"Cross my hearts," Dave didn't question the Doctor's slip at the subtle mention of his two hearts, just shook his hand once more and headed out the front door.

The Doctor sank down onto the couch in the lounge, resting his head against the back of the sofa, his hands cradling the back of his head, closing his eyes when he felt a warm, familiar body settle into his side. He smiled at her presence and adjusted himself, lowering his arms and pulling her in close to him. He kissed the top of her head, content to just be right here with her, right now. In her space, in this time. He needed nothing more.

"Did my dad already leave?" Clara spoke

"A few minutes before you came back out here. He says goodnight, that he'll call you soon," the Doctor said tiredly. He was hardly ever tired, barely even slept, but today had tired him out. But in such a wonderful way.

"Okay," they settled back into silence, both just happy to be alone together finally, but the Doctor broke the silence. He was always the first one to do so.

"Clara?" he said apprehensively, a little unsure of himself.

"Hm?" she was tired, and it didn't matter to him what state she was in when he said it as long as she heard it and as long as she knew.

"I love you." He was looking down upon her face, her eyes were closed but the corners of her mouth rose into such a brilliant smile. He really was in love.

She sat up to face him, her hands cradling both sides of his face and she let their lips collide into kiss that could melt them both, meld their bodies into one if they let it, but she pulled back and looked him straight in the eye, never letting the contact falter.

"I love you, too, Doctor," she kissed him again, gently this time, and nestled back into his side, "Merry Christmas."

A Merry Christmas indeed. This was all so simple and it felt perfect and he dreamed that it wouldn't come to an end. None of it. His Clara, their life together. Out traveling or in her home. He didn't need universes to see and worlds to save, Clara was his universe and he was going to hold on forever.


End file.
